Bear’s Big Dreaming

PreS-K–Little Bear is worried he will run out of material during the Big Dreaming of hibernation, so he sets out to gather spare dreams from the other animals in the forest. Squirrel tells a Happiness Right Now dream, Rabbit tells the dream of Coming Home Safe, and Wolf tells a dream of Always Having Hope. When Little Bear realizes he is lost in the forest and it’s starting to snow, he remembers the three dreams given to him by his forest friends. He finds his way home just in time. Youngest readers will find this sweet bedtime story cozy and comforting, even if parents find it somewhat predictable. A poetic refrain makes this an appealing read-aloud. Egnéus’s loose watercolors and use of contrasting dark and light values for the backgrounds are gorgeous and will make readers feel as if they are in a forest.